Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"Wax Father" by Nick Flynn is a haunting and profound meditation on loss, memory, and the desperate human attempt to preserve what is loved and feared to be lost. Through the metaphor of a son reconstructing his dying father from wax, Flynn explores themes of grief, the inevitable decay of the body, and the limits of art and imitation.

The poem begins with a vivid scene: "Each day the son came for more, scraping comb freshly laid, kneeling apologetic." This image is rich with the symbolism of beeswax, which is often associated with preservation and the creation of candles, which in turn symbolize light and memory. The act of scraping comb suggests gathering material to build or preserve, while the son's apologetic posture indicates a sense of intrusion or regret, possibly hinting at the natural guilt or burden felt in watching a parent age or deteriorate.

The father's physical collapse triggers a desperate response from the son, who "wasn’t ready, so he built a replica of the old man in order to save him." This act of building a replica underscores a profound denial of death and loss, a refusal to let go that drives the son to recreate his father in wax. Each failing part of the father’s body is meticulously replaced by the son with wax counterparts, suggesting an attempt to halt time and decay, to fix and make permanent what is inherently transient.

Flynn delves deeper into the transformation as the son constructs each part of his father: legs, hands, head, torso. This process is described in almost sacred terms, as the son studies his father's face with the devotion of an artist or a healer, capturing every detail—the creases, the bones, the indentations. The imagery here is intensely visual and tactile, emphasizing the physicality of the father and the meticulous care of the son.

However, the act of carrying each finished part to the church and pinning it above the altar introduces a spiritual dimension to the poem. This setting suggests a rite or a sacrificial offering, transforming the son's act into something that transcends mere preservation. It becomes a ritualistic offering of love and memory, sanctifying the father's suffering and the son's labor.

By the end of the poem, "nearly his entire body hung there," a line that evokes both a sense of completion and a profound sadness. The wax figure, suspended above the altar, symbolizes not only the father preserved but also the son’s emotional and spiritual burdens. It represents the weight of memory, the heaviness of grief, and the human struggle against the impermanence of life.

"Wax Father" is a deeply moving exploration of the lengths to which we go to hold onto those we love, the pain of impending loss, and the almost divine hope that love and memory might somehow defy the decay of the body. Through its striking imagery and poignant narrative, the poem captures the universal and timeless agony of watching a loved one fade, and the desperate, beautiful acts that this agony inspires.

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